if i go to you the sectarian differences is something that is downplayed a lot in western media but and that helps downplay the role that saudi arabia kuwait another country great democracies by the way in the middle middle east during the arab spring the role that they're playing there and again it seems to me it's a domino thing it's all about iran it has nothing to do about democracy it has nothing to do about civil liberties it has nothing to do about human rights it has nothing to do with the syrian people it's just that it's leverage to get out there go after hezbollah or to go after iran and that's why you know we have al qaeda in the united states on the same side in syria amazing geopolitics i think just on the sectarianism aspect i think that tends to get played up in the absence of politics i don't think there's any fundamental political divides between a lot of these different kind of sectarian groups and i think ultimately it does speak to a certain lack of a certain lack of shared ideas or a sense of really what they're trying to come together and achieve so i mean i

think sectarianism can be overplayed a lot i think that it's interesting there's a lot of scaremongering at the moment about the al-qaeda elements in syria and the free syrian army. starts both from assad and also kind of from the west is. about it's well so i think actually that does tend to be scaremongering these things will be a good place to stay with you let me let me stay with you i mean if you're saying that scaremongering this is internationalizing it ok and this again is what we heard assad must go because when you say when the united states says when britain says when france says somebody has to go they have to go don't they and internationalizing it bringing in the al qaeda element. helps make that happen. well yes of course i think that's true and i think we saw with what we saw with the un security council china and russia vetoed the resolution and now it seems like it's going to go to the general assembly again it seems like they're going to try

to have combinations of assad's britain and france are talking about working together to find ways of helping the free syrian army they're just trying to boycott the process because it didn't work for them it's the same that you see of a lot of kind of global elites where when they don't get their own way they just try and find alternative ways to meddle this thing happening for quite a long time in syria remember the arab league which is not hardly made up of great democratic countries themselves and we have bahrain which at the moment is cracking down on the hospitals for protests the range of protesters is just completely ignored by the west i mean i feel very sorry for the bahraini people because you know they have suffered some hideous crackdowns over the past year and that is just ignored because it's not in their interest to bring that to the fore have to say what is the other aspect that you really see here are other kind of external agents kind of brought in like the international atomic energy agency which are all to

syria which no one thinks realistically has nuclear weapons but is brought in in a way to get people on the ground and to meddle and put the pressure on and to meddle in a sovereign countries affairs now that's not something america would ever tolerate america would never tolerate another country going in and saying oh well you know we want to crack down on fact you have the death penalty you know there's no respect for national sovereignty in this region a tool ok i think to that extent. neo colonialism where the west is basically saying that these countries are unable to govern their own people we need to come in and teach them how to do democracy ok hurry problem i mean what occurred i tend to agree with you patrick because the more there is these creeping in interventions into into syria and we know that from from lebanon there are arms going in. to syria right now that's been established ok and it's and is this is another mission creep here i mean once this whole process of regime change and that's the ultimate goal right here it's just going to it won't go through the united nations they'll

be a coalition of the willing and then western powers and their friends in the church and the chattering league or the arab league as it's officially known will support that the term neo colonialism. you know i will say and i'll pretty pretty directly admit one of the one of the worst parts of course with the united states' involvement in iraq was. well there are lots of problems that we could talk about of course but one of the most important problems was that it. did for the near future the idea of intervening even when it's appropriate. you know i don't even want to use the term regime change because the sort of baggage that carries along but. i don't think because there was those sorts of strategic ideological concerns with iraq that it needs to be necessarily made that that's what the united states and other countries are talking about now i don't think this i don't think talk about intervention in the syrian context needs to be the same sort of conversation i don't think it necessarily is neo colonialism that we're talking about but having

said that i think we can use the iraq context to bring up a really important point here which is of course one of the big problems with that in the very recent history was fairly poor planning in terms of what happens after the fall of the regime one of my big concerns right now with syria as much as i want to see some kind of involvement i think there's a real obsession with the fall of assad how do we bring down our side how do we make this regime fall how do we do this but there's not a whole lot of conversation about what comes after and peter you mentioned the sectarian question earlier i think this is a real concern for for syrian society whether bashar assad's regime comes down because of intervention or if it comes down at all and if it calms down just in terms of the civil war. we do have to be prepared for what's going to come afterward and i don't think the world is discussing that very much what's going to happen when we see the very real possibility of sectarian

violence erupting between of course the sunni majority the i'm not alone and i think everybody knows it is going to change and i'm going to be in the. all ok all around me if i go to you know what's what's happening here how is how is syria evolving and what are the new poor political realities that are possible with safe parent that equally there is a regime change and either externally or internally what kind of syria is going to be left behind will it be very much divided will it be partitioned will you see outside powers and i'm thinking of iran i'm thinking of saudi arabia are they going to scramble for some kind of more influence if this is a real fluid situation. well can i first just work on what. actually said. syria at the beginning of this revolution people were not calling for ranging change they were calling for reform what they got in reply security forces opening fire at civilians detaining them torturing them some to death that's

actually what happened it took about a month and ten days until the the ceiling of demands were raised to what is now the toppling of the assad regime the assad regime has continued to deny that they do this the the u.n. the syrian ambassador to the u.n. claims that they're actually protecting these demonstrations russia itself has called on the syrian regime to refrain from excessive use of force so i mean all parties here agree that the syrian regime is using excessive use of force is killing its own civilians i don't understand why we're talking about. an intervention would then would then effect on syria what that would have after effect that would have if the situation continues the way it continues it's going on now it's going to become much worse and then the likely possibility of an intervention at that stage would be a catastrophe but what we're asking for now is some solution for some sort of

protection for the civilians we've seen a failure of that from from the international community we've seen a failure in politics because countries like russia or china are supporting the syrian regime i think russia in particular and we've seen collision of statements between russia and between syria and don't understand why russia continues to support any theory obviously has passed libya it's called libyan respecting tavern heard you want to jump in there go ahead. yes i do you know rami makes a good point that things are really bad right now there is a lot of violence going on and i want to make it clear i don't think concern for what might happen after the regime should necessarily be a reason to say we're going to wash our hands of the whole affair but what i what i do think needs to happen is a realistic assessment saying ok if the regime falls can it be worse than what's going on right now. and how how can the world be involved at this point don't wait until it's too late to see that it doesn't indeed get worse i think

there needs to be a really proper realistic assessment done of how to help the situation after the regime and how to be involved and i'm going to tell you here gentlemen we've run out of time in the can we be very nice if the international community would talk to all syrians and see what they want many thanks to my guest today in washington london and in cairo and thanks to our viewers for watching us here are to see the next time and remember talking. to. wealthy british scientists so it's time to just go. to. marcus weiner scandal. find out what's really happening to the global

economy cars report on our.

q one pressure on the syrian regime as the general assembly adopts a non-binding resolution but russia reiterate foreign interference is not the way to go. scrambles to meet ever mounting conditions to secure more bailout cash while some countries who kept their national currencies are proving to be far better wrong. when we look at why a russian opposition blogger alexei in the violin a man with some controversial views is being showered with praise by.

hello and thanks for being with us of four o'clock here in moscow on karen's taraji the u.n. general assembly has adopted a non-binding resolution that piles more pressure on syrian president assad to step down russia was among twelve states who voted against saying the draft fails to address the armed opposition moscow maintains the conflict should be solved by the syrian people without foreign pressure artie's marina poured nala has more from new york. this is very much a symbolic kind of message on the part of the international stage because you have an overwhelming majority of the u.n. members in the general assembly supporting a resolution that essentially endorses the arab league plan which calls for syrian president bashar al assad to step down it also condemns syrian authorities for violating human rights fundamental rape or freedoms and using force against

civilians it also calls for u.n. secretary general ban ki-moon to appoint an envoy to syria this text resolution condemns syrian authorities now the reason for all countries did not support this resolution is because they argue it's on balance most of those would put it in order to resolve the syrian crisis there's a need to uphold principle which no one seems to object to the violence must be stopped by all sides and this is serious solutions can only be found through an inclusive political led by the syrians themselves today's arab league draft resolution on the situation in the syrian arab republic does not meet these criteria to a large extent it reflects the worrying trend that causes concern to attempt to isolate the syrian leadership reject contact with it and impose an external formula for a political settlement. but russia has in the past of course offered to facilitate

a dialogue between a syrian officials and representatives of the opposition groups to host those negotiations in moscow but now where you see the majority of the international community standing behind a plan that calls for president assad to step down the opposition groups will most likely not be running to a negotiation table. what reports of ongoing violence in syria both sides of the conflict accuse each other of committing crimes activists say syrian troops are intensively shelling rebel held neighborhoods while the government insists it's fighting an armed insurgency artie's correspondent for national reports from damascus. damascus one day to funerals the men in both coffins were killed falling victim to the ongoing crisis in syria but at the hands of different sides. dick thirty seven reportedly received

five bullets to his chest and his head has become the first religious leader slain in the capital pronouncements those who knew him say the mom had tried to stay in the middle of the present crisis but couldn't help condemning the armed and to government forces that he blamed for bloodshed in his country. but i would like to go back a few months ago we had people saying words like freedom and peaceful where is the freedom if they simply kill those against them is this the freedom they wanted. a brutal irony that shaikh said dick himself was gunned down by those whose violence he'd put himself against or not going to let he was killed because he was calling for reform and the end of clashes basically did he want chaos a new day this is what you all this is the message to all islamic leaders the word of truth may cost your life be that you try to defend your country or stop the

violence or stop bloodshed you are not safe if you are saying the truth for money people pay the price for truth he was one of them in. malta for some a traitor for others an internet page of the opposition news network sharm gives a chilling picture of the hatreds driving conflict in syria. he was killed and his soul was sent to hell this is what he deserves. people don't have issues. and he saw it it is really a very deep crisis very very assertive and you will see me turn to a demonstration or protest the that's exactly what happened at this funeral procession. those who gathered to pay tribute to. show did you in and to government protest have not only brought flowers and greet but also political slogans and demands thing higher more afraid for our children and people

and brothers and sisters. witnesses say the bullets caught the young boy at the threshold of the mosque and his body fell inside we have in islam. for respect shown we've for respect with holy mosques and we believe we have to avoid any kind of violence in mosques but unfortunately with this kind of crimes with this kind of raji the situation there is no hole in this for any god with violence causing even more violence syria seems to find itself in a vicious circle with little hope of finding their way out of a very fine ocean r.t. damascus syria a top u.s. intelligence official has admitted al qaeda is working alongside syria's armed opposition but could mean washington and the terrorist group are actually fighting on the same side because as an investigative journalist russell baker believes

foreign states are helping armed rebels to. we're seeing a similar pattern to what we saw in libya and that is this the western countries clearly want bashar assad out just as much as they wanted khadafi out and we are seeing this introduction of tremendous amounts of force very skilled sophisticated operations like the assassination of that cleric like the assassination of a general the other day in damascus very skilled operatives are bringing this battle right home to assad and that is not the sign of a traditional peaceful uprising that's not to say that there are not a large number of people in syria who would like to get rid of assad but i think that that sentiment of part of the population is being dramatically helped along by outside forces. well international pressure on syria grows in force it's over for

libya as the country marks here since the revolt against the gadhafi regime celebrations are tainted by ongoing gunfire all the streets and claims of torture. also harsh rhetoric from the israeli government towards iran fails to convince many in israel that tektronix isn't doing it the right. greece is edging closer to its second bailout despite euro zone leaders demanding greater supervision of athens as finances greek officials have already signed off on the creditors earlier conditions which include major budget and job cuts the move solve violent protests on the streets of athens but some at the top in europe the delta drastic measures can be implemented if greece doesn't get the one hundred thirty billion euro rescue package it will go bust in march when its next step payments are do looking at greece's downward spiral some e.u.

countries are glad they have decided to stay away from the euro that's as artie's tom barton reports. the day's shift nearly fifty three year old team leader jimmy carlson lorries keep rolling off the production lines here at sky news main works but one dose weeds know there's a crisis on them where we don't know the market but hard up in profit making health cars in fact scam you was hit by the eurozone crisis when economic trouble many lower orders would come so the black headlines came we have a crisis in the you will be you. may be going down and so on and then our customers get their health but the lorry maker like sweden of real recovered fast from the initial downturn and has so far managed to dogs much of the pain felt further south in two thousand and three swede's shocked other review. members by voting against

joining the euro it was just one factor which now sees the country with one of the world's lowest government debts and one of the healthiest looking economies in europe we have most pathetically changed our problems with the fiscal side so we don't have all those debt problems and budgetary problems that many other countries have but big debates lie ahead the rest of the us still by far sweden's largest trading partner here as elsewhere everyone is watching the embattled euro as a guide to their vote in a possible future referendum some put it simply mike economist rolf england who campaigned against the euro back in two thousand and three i think the euro will collapse before sweden where you're going to whereas around eighty percent of swedes say they're glad they're not in the euro the figure is reversed for their politicians most europhiles argue this crisis isn't the euro's fault

it's about debt if you compare sweden which has been outside of the euro for just over ten years and fiddler which has been a member of the for the same period we have warbirds identical we can all developments both politicians and people here seem to think that there will be another referendum on joining the euro sooner or later but what their choice will be assuming there's still a euro left choose is anyone's guess. this is a swedish kronor coin it's become a symbol of that momentous no vote of swedish prosperity versus the chaos of the euro but sweden can't ignore that its economic and political fate is tied inextricably to europe and as for predicting the future of the krona well political in tom barton r.t. . as the russian presidential election draws closer the media hype around it only

grows louder opposition blogger alex in the vine name has emerged as the darling of foreign broadcasters his anti-corruption campaigning has earned him comparisons to wiki leaks founder julian assange but it's not volleys radical views and nationalist comments that get glossed over abroad as r t's n e so now reports. he's the anti corruption crusader making waves in and outside of russia for his push for transparency and exposing multi-billion dollar holes in state projects to a political phenomenon blow good opposition dolling alexei live on the often gets glossy coverage and is rarely asked tough questions by international media whether comparing the vile need to julian a son or calling him one of the most influential new political figures he's hardly challenge to prominently praised and very present at the used

a slope and corruption of the very basis of the political system which would inform go he's not a score when speaking at rallies which have been at their biggest numbers in decades because it's got to tell. him. you know these are good guys those that are going to get going if you don't exist granted really don't because it's just nobody's popularity in major cities and on the web soars in comparison with the rest of russia it's good when you've got your foreign media coverage won't make him any more popular they keep writing about nirvana but his recognition rate and russia is only some three percent many russians who do know now who are knee due for his sometimes shocking nationalism. what it was the way it's been dressed up as a dentist here he compares migrant workers to rotten teeth that need pulling out. the i remember all that but that would be what i see and hear non russian intruders

to cockroaches smiling you'll need more than a sliver to kill them. with i'm still going to commit this but inside russia you find much more criticism of the blogger and his questionable connections to radicalism than abroad where it's usually buried barely mentioned or brushed. off as a larger russian problem we tried calling contacting and finally caught up with not guard me but to no avail i didn't see it but i noticed it was really matters. of. the past and that's at the bottom of the group i didn't. know what you know it's not. a national day seconds later he did find time to tell russia's real news agency he's ignored by much of the russian press because that's what you really need to go to me so that it will be delivered to my working without the other

seemingly more ready to speak ironically to non russian channels about the country's corruption problems and criticised and put forward a real solution rather than how to make sure russia is for russians and he said now r t moscow. while opposition members are being heaped with praise from abroad to criticism piles up on the fast approaching the presidential election in russia read on our website r.t. dot com one milestone has slammed a resolution from the european parliament which hits out the vote before it's even happened also. an electro shock weapon used to incapacitate criminals has killed hundreds of people over the last ten years in the united states alone find out more on our t.v. dot com. it's been a year since the uprisings that brought down the regime of moammar gadhafi in libya but with rebels are to the teeth and still largely in power the country's future is

in the balance let's cross now to a few roles manji editor in chief of the parent african social justice network mr monti thank you for being with us now human rights groups said there is evidence of the torture and abuse of gadhafi supporters by the rebels does that sound correct to you. i think there is mounting evidence that ever since the nato wean variation of libya ever since the qatari invasion of libya there has been. gross human rights violations not just torture there is. indiscriminate killings there are extra judicial killings there's summary execution even cuddle gaddafi. members of his family have been some really executed nobody has been prone to do justice on that we are now facing a situation which is in many ways threatens to become rather like somalia

a completely under government of all state without the the huge amount of hours that have been poured in night by france by the europeans by the americans and by the qataris. this place is going to descend into into an ungovernable civil war the scale of of all killings makes this unprecedented in. that part of the world and indeed this situation now in that sense is that it was under the the rule of that curious sort of among the food. dictator colonel gadhafi but that's the that's the reality of what we face and so so-called in some the so-called great democratic free libya far from it and keep.